I like women more than men, with occasional exceptions.  So I was most thrilled yesterday to watch the women climb the Muur.

The legs pumping!  The heart throbbing!  And me watching!

It’s sad that the crowds were sparse compared to the men’s race.  All elite athletes should be appreciated.

I watched faces on the climb – torn, gasping for air, determined.

After all the women had come by, I turned to the right and took a photo of the uphill beyond.  The gradient here is about 18 percent.  That’s steep!  For the legs and lungs.

The iconic spot to watch the Omloop on the Muur is further up, in sight of the Oudenberg Chapel (English translation) at the peak.  The church was built in 1906, “though a place of worship has existed on this site since at least 1294.”

Here’s a photo from the Internet of Omloop action:

I had been in the middle of cheering and yelling but now my hand was on the door of the chapel.  Would it open?

Yes

I sat in the presence of candles, flowers and sacred statues.  Not a bicycle to be seen.  Not a sound to be heard.

***

It was a magnificent day

Brimming with the human spirit

I am enriched